MCCULLUM SMASHES FASTEST WORLD CUP FIFTY IN 2007

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MCCULLUM SMASHES FASTEST WORLD CUP FIFTY IN 2007

Brendon McCullum, then just 24, created history and havoc at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, bludgeoning his way to the fastest-ever World Cup half-century off just 20 balls against Canada in St Lucia.

GREATEST CWC MOMENT 

Background

The match between New Zealand and Canada was essentially a dead rubber, with New Zealand having already secured a berth in the Super Eights and Canada eliminated from the tournament. New Zealand was asked to bat and the first ten overs yielded 41. So far, so good for Canada. But, without warning, New Zealand shifted gears and began a calculated onslaught, much to the delight of the spectators, who were mostly schoolchildren.

Stephen Fleming hit 66, Peter Fulton chipped in with a run-a-ball 47, and Lou Vincent was the fulcrum of the effort, with 101 off 117 balls. When Vincent departed, New Zealand was 278 for 5 with seven overs remaining, and Canada might have felt that the worst was over.



The Moment

McCullum joined Jacob Oram in the middle, and the pair continued in smash-all-you-see fashion. In the process, New Zealand surpassed its previous highest World Cup total of 331 — set two days earlier against Kenya — in the 48th over.

Three gigantic sixes and a four later, McCullum was on strike for the last over, batting on 37 from 17 balls. Mark Boucher had set the record for fastest World Cup half-century off 21 balls just a week ago against The Netherlands, and McCullum had a chance to equal or better it. McCullum chose the latter, and hit 6, 2, 6 to bring up the milestone in 20 balls. It was also the fastest half-century by a New Zealand batsman in ODIs at the time.

What happened next

New Zealand finished at a staggering 363 for 5, but Canada was no pushover. For the first 9.4 overs, the New Zealand bowling attack — without the services of Shane Bone and James Franklin, who were rested — was given a dose of its own medicine as John Davison blasted 52 off 31 balls, reaching his fifty in 23 balls – the joint third-fastest in World Cup history. But it ran out of steam thereafter and was bowled out for 249, handing New Zealand a 114-run win.

"McCullum's fearlessness humbled an already miserable Canadian attack as he feasted on bowling which lacked direction, discipline and courage."
ESPNCricinfo

In the Super Eights, New Zealand won four games and lost two before losing to Sri Lanka in the semi-final. Meanwhile, McCullum become known for his ability to reduce bowling attacks to pulp.

Currently, he shares the New Zealand record for fastest half-century in ODIs (off 19 balls) with Ross Taylor. His brutal hitting isn't limited to ODIs alone, as he has shown he can kick it up a notch in Twenty20 Internationals as well as in Tests.

Source: http://www.icc-cricket.com/

DWAYNE LEVEROCK’S STUNNING ONE HANDED CATCH

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DWAYNE LEVEROCK’S STUNNING ONE HANDED CATCH

Wearing Number 99 on his back, a police-man by profession and weighing in at over 280lb (127kg) Bermuda’s Dwayne Leverock looked more at home in a rugby front row than a slip cordon – but India learned at the 2007 World Cup that looks can be deceiving.

GREATEST CWC MOMENT 

Background

In its debut Cricket World Cup, Bermuda opened its campaign with a massive defeat to Sri Lanka, and was up next against an Indian team smarting from a shock loss to Bangladesh. India needed to win and win big, so the minnow on the big stage for the first time knew what it was up against, but that didn’t prevent the side from providing a truly memorable Cricket World Cup moment.



The Moment
Malachi Jones, the 17-year-old playing his first World Cup match bowled the second over of the day after Bermuda won the toss. His first delivery was a length ball just outside the off stump, which Uthappa prodded at nervously. The ball flew to the right of Leverock at wide first slip, and he responded with an athleticism unexpected from a patently overweight man, launching himself to his right to pull off a spectacular one-handed catch.

Perhaps astounded with his own feat, he then set off on a joyous, celebratory run to nowhere – screaming and blowing kisses at the crowd. The bowler, Jones, had also sprinted off in triumph, weeping with joy at getting a wicket off his first ball against a Test-playing nation, before being tackled by his team-mates.

The Fridge has opened!! he’s flown like a gazelle……the earth shook, what a catch! Oh what a catch! The big man, he’s off and we get a dance as well!’

David Lloyd on commentary as Dwayne Leverock pouches the stunning catch

In slow motion, the catch was all the more impressive with Leverock seeming to defy gravity as he soared through the air at full stretch to grab what is surely one of the greatest catches ever taken at a Cricket World Cup match. Known for his day job as a policeman for grabbing the bad guys in Bermuda, the man affectionately called ‘Sluggo’ by his mates, grabbed the great catch and sealed his place in Cricket World Cup folklore.

What happened next 

There was very little for Bermuda to cheer after that as India set a slew of records on their way to a thumping victory. A Virender Sehwag century helped India pile on 413 for 5 - the largest total in the World Cup - and the 257-run margin of victory was a record for all one-dayers. Jones didn't get another wicket in the match as he was taken for 74 in seven overs, and Leverock's left-arm spin was smashed for 96 runs, the second most expensive 10-over spell in World Cup history as Bermuda exited the tournament. Still, the Leverock catch remains the most indelible and heart-warming moment in Bermuda cricket.

What a catch, what a moment in the history of this tournament as Jones races to the boundary in celebration and is mobbed by his exultant team-mates."
National Paper, The Bermuda Sun on March 20th, 2007

CHAMINDA VAAS STRIKES EARLY THRICE IN '03

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CHAMINDA VAAS STRIKES EARLY THRICE IN '03

Chaminda Vaas claimed three wickets from the first three deliveries of Sri Lanka’s group stage clash against Bangladesh in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, registering the third hat-trick in World Cup history.

GREATEST CWC MOMENT

Background

The teams headed into the match on the back of contrasting results. Sri Lanka had got the better of New Zealand in its tournament opener, Sanath Jayasuriya’s century propelling the side to 272 for 7, before bowling out New Zealand for 225, despite Scott Styris’ 125-ball 141.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, was coming in on the back of a 60-run loss to a determined Canada side.

CWC Greatest Moment

He had a sore back on the morning of the match, but when Chaminda Vaas came out to bowl, there were few signs of it. Three balls into the match, his name was jotted down in the annals of history, with the third hat-trick in World Cups, after Chetan Sharma against New Zealand in 1987 and Saqlain Mushtaq against Zimbabwe in 1999.

More significantly, Vaas became the first cricketer to take three wickets off the first three deliveries of an ODI.

Vaas’s left-arm inswingers clearly troubled the batsmen. The first was pitched on good length, and moved in just a tad, clattering the stumps of Hannan Sarkar, who swung and missed. The next delivery was slightly short of a length but Mohammad Ashraful, already committed on the front foot, tapped it straight back to the bowler.

With a hat-trick in the offing, the Sri Lankan fielders moved in and Ehsanul Haque, the new man, walked into a pressure cauldron. Vaas ran in and pitched one up, just outside off. Haque stuck his bat out, and the outside edge flew to Mahela Jayawardena in the slip cordon, as Sri Lanka erupted in elation.

“Oh he’s gone, he’s gone, it’s a hat-trick. What a great start from Chaminda Vaas. He’s created a world record here. A hat-trick in the first three deliveries of a One-Day International, and that too in the World Cup!”
Official broadcast commentator.

But it wasn’t over yet. In the fifth ball of the same over, Vaas had Sanwar Hossain trapped in front. He then went on to dismiss Al Sahariar and Mashrafe Mortaza to end with figures of 6 for 25, as Bangladesh was bowled out for 124.

What Happened Next

Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya barely put a foot wrong as they notched up half-centuries and took Sri Lanka past the finish line in 21.1 overs for a ten-wicket win. Thereafter, Sri Lanka pretty much had a comfortable league phase, barring a 53-run loss against Kenya, as it beat Canada and the West Indies, and tied with South Africa on the D/L Method.

“If you take the 2003 World Cup, every time he played, Vaasi took two early wickets. I think it gave a lot of comfort to someone like (Muttiah) Muralidharan. It gave other bowlers some comfort zone.”
Arjuna Ranatunga.

Those results were enough for a Super Six spot, and though Sri Lanka lost to both Australia (by 96 runs), and India (by 183 runs), a 74-run win against Zimbabwe sealed its spot in the semi-final. It faced Australia again in the final four, who proved to the superior side. Sri Lanka’s 2003 campaign thus ended with a 48-run loss via the D/L Method.

Vaas, however, ended as highest wicket-taker of the tournament, with 23 scalps in ten matches at 14.39, including 4 for 22 against West Indies to follow up the 6 for 25 against Bangladesh.

“YOU’VE JUST DROPPED THE WORLD CUP, MATE”

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“YOU’VE JUST DROPPED THE WORLD CUP, MATE”

It was the Super Sixes clash in 1999, chasing 272 Australia had to win. Captain Steve Waugh was on 56 and he offered a simple chance to Herschelle Gibbs at mid-wicket. Gibbs caught it but in his haste to throw it up in celebration, dropped the ball.

GREATEST CWC MOMENT 

Background 

It was the last game of the Super Sixes at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, a game that Australia had to win. Australia had come into the Super Sixes without a single point, and though it had beaten India and Zimbabwe, it needed to win against South Africa, who had already booked a place in the final four, to progress alongside.

Batting first, South Africa had put up a solid 271 for 7 and Australia had lost Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn early. Ponting and Steve Waugh were doing the rebuilding and had taken the total to 152 for 3, still 119 behind South Africa without much batting left.
 
Main article

It was the 31st over of the Australian innings and Waugh had just had a yes-no with Ponting when he flicked an innocuous looking delivery from Lance Klusener to Gibbs, who had earlier scored a wonderful century, at mid-wicket. Gibbs caught it, but in trying to throw the ball up in the air, spilled it. Waugh might not have actually told him he had dropped the World Cup – and neither man could have imagined the significance the dropped chance would hold later – but Gibbs was nevertheless aware that an important chance had been shelled.

Gibbs caught it but in his haste to throw it up in celebration, dropped the ball. The Australian would go on to lead his team to victory and the South African would rue the missed catch that meant Australia went through to the final when the semi-final was tied. 

“He’s dropped it. He’s dropped it. I don’t believe it. That’s unbelievable. He was throwing it up. He thought he had it. It was a little lollypop. And the man who did so well with the bat has taken his eye off the ball and the ball has just dribbled out of his fingers. Well, this could change the course of this match, that’s for sure.”
Tony Greig, commentating on the match.

Waugh later confirmed that contrary to the urban legend that gained ground, he hadn’t actually told Gibbs, “You’ve just dropped the World Cup, mate”.
 

 
What happened next

Waugh went on to complete a match-winning century. He had already reached his half-century off 47 balls and though Ponting (69) fell soon after the Gibbs spill, Waugh stayed on to score an unbeaten 110-ball 120, hitting ten fours and two sixes along the way. And with Tom Moody for company, he took Australia over the line with two balls left in the game.
 
While Waugh didn’t say the words attributed to him, it would have been prophetic if he had. The win ensured that Australia would face South Africa again in the semi-final, and that match – balanced on a knife’s edge for much of the chase – finished in a dead heat, it was Australia who progressed, by virtue of having beaten South Africa in the earlier game. If Gibbs hadn’t dropped Waugh, Australia might not even have qualified for the semi-final.
 

“People still ask me about that drop to Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup. The truth is, it doesn't haunt me as I've been chirped about it for a long time. I still remember the Super Six match very well because I got a really good hundred. But losing that game set up the most exciting game of all, one of the most exciting games in any World Cup.”
Herschelle Gibbs at a press conference during the 2007 World Cup

Incidentally, Waugh scored exactly 56, the score at which Gibbs had dropped him, in the semi-final.

THE UNBELIEVABLE CLIMAX IN 1999

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THE UNBELIEVABLE CLIMAX IN 1999

It had all come down to South Africa needing one run to win with nine wickets down & three balls left in the match. Lance Klusener, in blistering form through the tournament, was on strike, the rest is history as Australia squeezed through to the final.

GREATEST CWC MOMENT 

Background

Australia had to win five consecutive matches to reach the semi-final, but South Africa won six of its eight matches comfortably to book its berth. One of Australia’s wins was over South Africa, a thrilling affair on the last day of the Super Sixes stage, and a result that ensured both teams faced off again four days later. Those who had watched Steve Waugh’s century and Australia’s come-from-behind triumph, were hoping for a repeat of a classic encounter. Instead they got an epic.

Australia and South Africa have played out many classic matches over the years, but none have come close to the incredible semi-final between the two sides in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999. There was, in actual fact, nothing to separate the two teams, with the match ending in a dead-heat tie. ?

The match began with the incisive combination of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald blowing away Australia’s top order, only for a Steve Waugh-Michael Bevan rescue act to push Australia to 213 all out in the final over. Pollock and Donald had accounted for nine of the wickets, and South Africa began its chase comfortably.

“We ran around like prison escapees, not knowing who to grab, totally overcome with excitement… The only thing I was sure of was that we’d escaped, and then I heard Bevo yelling, ‘We’re in! We’re in!’”
Steve Waugh, in his autobiography, describing the immediate aftermath of the match.

That was when Shane Warne stamped his class on the proceedings, grabbing three wickets in eight balls as the chase was derailed. Jacques Kallis fought gamely on, before becoming Warne’s final victim, and when Klusener took guard, South Africa needed 39 runs off 31 balls.


The Moment

Klusener’s average in the tournament was 125, and he had been dismissed just twice. Given his sparkling form, he was expected to finish the job for South Africa, and he went about his task in an unfazed manner, even as wickets kept falling. When the final over began, South Africa needed nine runs and were down to the last-pair of Klusener and Donald. ?

Damien Fleming fired two deliveries on the offside, and both duly dispatched to the cover fence.

One needed off four balls and Klusener pulled a short ball to Lehmann at mid-on, whose under-arm throw missed the stumps at the non-striker’s end even though an uncertain Donald was short of his crease.

One needed off three balls and Klusener hit Fleming down the ground and set off for the victory run. Mark Waugh, alert enough to the situation, covered good ground to his left from mid-off, collected the ball on the bounce and threw it to Fleming, who quickly rolled it over to Gilchrist at the other end.
Donald, after the near run-out off the previous ball, was late to react. He dropped his bat, and was short of his crease in the confusion that ensued. Klusener was not out on 31  off 16 balls, the game was tied, but it was the Australians who took off on celebratory runs while South Africa – even though it hadn’t lost the match – had to watch its campaign come to a shuddering halt.

What happened next?

Bob Woolmer’s rein as South Africa’s coach, during which it won more than 70 percent of matches, ended.

“From a personal point of view, I obviously hit the ball really well, but I suppose I would rather have not done that and won the trophy.”
Lance Klusener to Wisden India.

Australia beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup final and went on to extend its domination in world cricket for more than a decade. Australia successfully defended the title in 2003 and 2007 World Cups, and did not lose a single game in the tournament till Pakistan broke the winning streak in the 2011 World Cup.

“It’s one of the biggest mishaps in the game, and I must say I learned a lot as a person from that.”
Allan Donald to Wisden India.

Source: http://www.icc-cricket.com/

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